yewknee.com » archives

« May 2007 | Main | July 2007 »

June 29, 2007
Friday Videos - June 29th
»

Going Inside

Turtles

1.21 Gigawatts (Redux)

Rally Car Dentistry

Boogie Nights / Star Wars

Tractor Fight

Enjoy your weekend!

02:16 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Electronic Mail
»

Electronic Mail

This article has a bunch of great links to old ads selling technology in a way that sounds absolutely absurd looking back (80MB drive "for under $12k"). The best of which being this guy getting the crap scared out of him by some "electronic mail."

01:17 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Simpsons movie site - more fun than the show!
»

So, the Simpsons Movie is now less than a month away from being released. I can't imagine it being that entertaining given the past few seasons of the show but I have to admit the "Create Your Simpsons Avatar" feature on the movie website is pretty great. Granted, it's not shockingly accurate but it's a fun toy to play around with. Everyone should create their own!

12:23 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Vimeo Relaunch
»

Everyone should check out the Vimeo relaunch. The design is easy on the eyes and that Sign Up page is something else!

12:10 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Awesome Guitars!
»

AK-47 Guitar and Sword Guitar. Absolutely incredible.

11:09 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

June 28, 2007
San Paulo logo ban
»

In January of 2007 San Paulo, Brazil banned outdoor advertising, effectively making all billboards, neon signs, bus ads, etc. illegal. This photoset shows a bit of the outcome of such a decision. While the area certainly looks devoid of advertisements, it also creates a very run-down and neglected look, something that will presumably change over time. Regardless, it's an incredible decision and I commend them for making it. Link via Hale and Blankenship.

02:11 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

Hale Links : Volume 37
» Ryan has re-emerged with a slew of links to share. It is my civic duty to share them with you.

Buffalo vs. Lions and Crocodiles - a serious wildlife showdown.

Michel Gondry "Cribs" - when he cries over Spike Jonze it's my favorite.

Mr. and Mrs. Lotto - a `chop job of various previous Lotto winner's faces. Quite bizarre.

H-Bar - if you know what the mathematical h is before looking it up, I'll give you a shiny new nickel.

31 Methods for Lacing Your Shoes - how many can you master?

Vinyl to video game - apparently some vinyl released in the late 70's / early 80's could be recorded to tape and then run through a home computer system that would compile it into a game. Absolutely insane.

Inkjet printers are a ripoff - as if you didn't know.

Drug Rocket Ejector - one of the best tactics I've ever read about for getting rid your smuggled drugs.

Dry Erase Refrigerator - brilliantly simple. Makes me think of Miranda July.

Diggerland - a theme park focused on construction equipment. Seems as lame as it sounds.

Wet Cats - in all honesty, this really grosses me out quite a bit.

01:53 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

June 27, 2007
Four Eyed Monsters - the Film
»

I've been following the unfolding story of Four Eyed Monsters for a number of years now via their blog and, more specifically, their podcasts but I've never actually seen the film itself. Fortunately, you can now watch the entire film via YouTube. The blurred line between what is the movie and what is Arin and Susan's actual relationship can still be unclear but I think that's the allure.

And if you're feeling like you really want to be supportive of indie filmmaking, sign up over at spout.com for a free account and they'll pay the duo $1 for every new member. So far some 31,000 people have signed up (they need over 100,000).

Act quick on the free movie though, because it will be taken down mid August.

01:22 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

Autolux Videos
»

Autolux 1

Autolux 2

The quality may not be the greatest in the world but hearing these snippets of new songs from Autolux makes me incredibly happy. I can't wait for details of their new album to finally emerge.

12:51 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

iTunes Rentals
» With the tech world all a flutter about the impending iPhone release I think some news / rumors are getting swept under the rug. For instance - this rumor about iTunes renting movies is an interesting one. With the success of the iPod video and the forthcoming iPhone I would think people would want to download more videos but probably not keep them forever - so would people pay to "rent" a digital file? Or is it just opening the door for someone to write a crack to remove the time out from your rental and allow you to permanently own the file?

12:48 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Margot at the Wedding
»

I think it's probably safe to say that Noah Baumbach is quickly entering into the realm of the next generation of directors to keep an eye on (Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Wes Anderson, etc). His next film Margot at the Wedding seems less dark than Squid and the Whale but still deeply entrenched in family dysfunction. Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and John Turturro make for a pretty astounding cast - hopefully Jack Black can keep up. Watch the full trailer here.

12:43 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

Spinto Band on Daytrotter
» Heads up! The Spinto Band is featured on Daytrotter this week and they play 3 brand new songs and "Oh Mandy" with a new hip-hop breakdown. How could that not be worth the free download?

11:50 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Joy Division - the Shoes
»

There is a culture of shoe collectors that exists beyond my realm of comprehension but I can only imagine that an exclusive 250-pair run of sneakers, sold only in a handful of stores, designed by Peter Saville, Ben Kelly and Peter Hook would be a pretty favorable item to procure. And the $700 price tag makes it even more of a prize, no?

Fortunately for the Joy Division / sneaker freak niche crowd there is another shoe on the horizon that should be quite a bit more mass produced and, thus, much cheaper.

11:49 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

June 26, 2007
Good Cop, Baby Cop
»

Good Cop, Baby Cop is another installment in the Will Ferrel created independent shorts. It's the same gag as the landlord sketch but it's still funny. The language is NSFW for some of you, so be aware.

12:49 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

London Logo Alternate Suggestion
»

Wink Creative was asked to speak on a morning talk show in regards to the much discussed London 2012 Logo and during the show, revealed his agencies alternatives to the mark. Strangely, while I really enjoy almost all of the suggested alternatives it seems like a total cop out to change the mark now. The weird disjointed 2012 symbol that is being used now actually has people talking about the Olympics - regardless of good or bad, it has created chatter. A mark like the one featured here is ambiguous and thought provoking but only in a quiet way - not an outrageous way. I still don't enjoy the current mark much at all personally but it does have people talking...

12:07 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

There's a Message Here Somewhere
»

The above image is reportedly the outcome of a ridiculous cops and robbers style chase through a corn field. Regardless of how legit that background story is, it's a great concept.

11:56 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Flickr Scout
»

Daniel clued me in to a little tool called Scout that will fetch images from the Flickr Interestingness pool based on a username. Here are my pics, Daniel, Wiseacre Paul, Blankenship, and David Bean just for a few examples. The only downside I've found with the tool so far is that certain usernames don't come up as you would expect so you have to base it off of their Flickr ID. Sort of annoying but worth the little bit of effort.

The biggest travesty with the tool is that Our Common has never had a photo featured in the pool? What's up with that?

11:52 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

June 25, 2007
Last Nights Shoes
»

Is it possible for a parody to be superior than its original? The launch of Last Nights Shoes is seemingly poking direct fun at Last Nights Party, Cobra Snake and Nashville's own Poor Little Rich Kids but the site is actually entirely enjoyable to browse in and of itself. And I'm not even a huge shoephile.. but it tells more of a story about the evening based entirely on the shoes than just the same party crowd shot that all of the other sites seem to recycle over and over.

02:21 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Zeitgeist marketing actually a bad move
»

I have so many thoughts about the new Smashing Pumpkins album Zeitgeist that I can't even get them in order to make a coherent post. I don't fault the band too heavily for "reforming" and putting out a new album - particularly given that they pretty much maintained their original sound - but when they will be releasing four versions of the album based on which retailer is carrying the product I get a little miffed. If you buy the album at Best Buy you get a different bonus track than if you buy the album at Target or via iTunes. Oh, and if you buy the "standard" version - aka buy it anywhere else - you get fewer songs. What sort of weird fan punishment is that?

Don't misread this as me actually being personally involved in what it is that the Smashing Pumpkins themselves do but rather I'm upset over the principle of the matter. There are lots of people who are hardcore SP collectors that will now be buying 3 copies of the album (maybe four) just to get all the physically packed bonus tracks and color cover iterations - that just seems like a huge slap in the face to the dedicated fans. Why not just have standard and deluxe packaging options that could include an entire bonus disc of extra songs.. instead of the mish-mashed iterations and obvious proponent of illegal file sharing.

01:37 PM » [ Comments (7) ]

Concord Music Group
»

Polychrome recently launched the phase one iteration of the site redesign for Concord Music Group. The yewknee demographic may not be too familiar with the majority of artists across the board but that shouldn't stop you from appreciating the clean and easy to use design. At first I was a little thrown by the events page as it seems like a mish-mash of text but once it hit that every artist is arranged alphabetically and it's a much easier / more efficient way of showing tour dates for a multitude of artists, I got it. The use of graphic text is pretty minimal but very effective when it deployed.. and that radio player is pretty great too.

12:55 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Freegums Poster - tileable
»

Freegums just released a new poster that took over three months to illustrate and is "fully tileable." Taking a look at the detail you can certainly understand why it took so long. It would certainly create an insane vibe in your house to cover an entire wall with this stuff - so jump on it.

12:49 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Marriage Songs
»

So, my friend Paul is getting married and has inquired about compiling some music for the reception that is a little bit off from the traditional style. Here are some examples:
· The Cure - Love Song
· Ben Folds - The Luckiest
· Old 97's - Question
· Super Furry Animals - Hello Sunshine

As you can see - not always a straight up tender love ballad, but just a sweet sentiment being expressed. So, in an attempt to further benefit him - what do you think makes for a good addition to this list? I'm thinking Midlake's "My Young Bride" is beyond appropriate.

12:31 PM » [ Comments (18) ]

Sgt. Pepper must die!
» The Guardian has a great article interviewing the likes of Mark Ronson, Wayne Coyne, Alex Kapranos, Peter Hook and a host of others about "classic" albums that they find overrated, overblown or just plain unenjoyable. Here's Tjinder Singh of Cornershop of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon:

There's a certain irony in a song like Money that takes pot-shots at greedy corporations, when this album made so much money. There's also irony in these super-wealthy elite prog musicians positing themselves against The Man, having a go at the machine. The light shows, all the technology and white-coated technicians at their disposal, make them very much part of the machine.

It only gets better from there. I highly recommend everyone take a read through when you have a moment.

12:08 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Where The Wild Things Are
»

The first promotional image from the Spike Jonze / Dave Eggers adapation of Where The Wild Things Are has hit the web. Honestly, I've regrettably never read the book but have always been fascinated by the Maurice Sendak illustrations. If Jonze is able to bring those to life in some way, I'm in.

12:03 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Go Team - Grip Like A Vice
»

The internet media machine is starting to churn with news of the new Go! Team record coming out in September and the first single "Grip Like A Vice" is popping up all over the place. I enjoyed the first record (Thunder Lightning Strike) but didn't gush over it like much of interweb - I just found the musical vibe very upbeat, pleasing and refreshingly vintage sounding. The same applies to this new song but I could really do without the 80's style motivational rapping found throughout.

» The Go! Team - Grip Like A Vice

10:50 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

June 22, 2007
Friday Videos - June 21st, 2007
»

Drama

Surface

Mr. I.T.

Daft Hands

Cheetah Encounter

A few notes for viewing:
Stick with the Daft Hands video - it gets better as the song speeds up.

Cheetah Encounter had me on the verge of tears.

05:40 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

iPhone Tour
»

With the release of the iPhone just one week away the promotion machine is seriously gearing up. Apple just released a guided tour showing all the features of the phone and how "easy it is" to use each and every one of them. I think it all looks / sounds great but I think actually holding it in my hands will be the real clincher to the deal. Is anyone going to be getting one of these the first day they come out?

05:22 PM » [ Comments (6) ]

Viget Labs
»

Never having heard of Viget Labs I wasn't sure what was in store for me when I checked out their site but after browsing through their bulleted list of Top 5 Reasons Designers Love Working Here I can tell you this - they have a balls out affection for Javascript animation. The effect works great but I'm rather surprised a company would choose to have their entire site slide back and forth - the likelihood of processor crushing seems quite high. But hey, you gotta push the envelope some time right?

04:12 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Donkey Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
»

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a film about a middle school science teacher (Steve) going head to head against the greatest Donkey Kong player in the world (Billy) for the Guiness World Championship title. The best part? It's a documentary. The quotes that spill out of the current champions mouth are priceless just from the trailer.

03:51 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Hello Girlfriend - Summer 2007 Mix
»

The Hello Girlfriend Summer Mix 2007 is certifiable in its greatness. I'd venture to say it's a mellow blend perfectly catered to summertime leisure.

03:48 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

A Circus of Links!
» Paul went nuts with links - go check them out. My favorites so far being this story and this Google trick.

01:08 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Indy is back
»

Photo by: Steven Spielberg

Indiana Jones is officially back. Daniel and I were discussing the possible quality of the forthcoming film.. can it top "Last Crusade"? Probably not. Will it's main focus be on making Shia LaBeouf the new main character and, thus, creating room for a whole new franchise? It's possible...

11:58 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

June 21, 2007
Videos of the Music Variety
»

Menomena - Rotten Hell

Eno on airports

02:02 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Vader Head Art
»

The Vader Project is one part Munny, one part art show and one part brilliant execution an artistic fanboys dream. I mean, if Lee doesn't instantly fall in love with this I'll be shocked.

Overall, the idea is top notch and I hope it's an ongoing project with multiple iterations. Link via Blankenship.

01:29 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Batsuit Revealed (but not revealing)
»

You gotta hand it to the movie studio that is working promotions for the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight, because they've already got a hype machine rolling for a movie that doesn't come out for at least another entire year. First they unveiled the new Joker and now they're working the public over about the new Batsuit. Nerds (myself included) rejoice.

01:23 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

John from Cincinatti
»

Did anyone catch John From Cincinatti on HBO? It's got a Twin Peaks / LOST vibe to it - mysterious happenings, impending character arcs and something other worldly coming down the pipe.. but you're just not sure what yet. Quite enjoyable, though sometimes the acting really felt like they were acting, my only complaint.

The vulgarity level on the show is out of this world.. in the best way possible. Creator David Milch knows how to bring the onslaught of verbal insanity.

12:35 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Panda in a tree
»

Fantastic photo.

11:30 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Leopard
» Think Secret posted a Leopard Gallery containing a ton of shots from the upcoming OS X upgrade. Frankly, I'm not so into the new desktop environment or the folder icons. Granted, these things can be changed but right off the bat I'm feeling a bit skeptical (as always). Looking at this I have some mixed reactions - love the lack of brushed metal, love the sidebar, sort of hate the translucent top bar, feel unsettled by the Linux like folder icons and am certainly not a fan of the desktop (easily changed, I know). Regardless, worth a peek at.

11:22 AM » [ Comments (6) ]

PHP APC
» I can't say I know too much about it but the PHP APC might be a very cool new feature in PHP 5. Particularly the real time file upload progress reports - something that has been sorely missing from PHP.

11:14 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

June 20, 2007
YK June Mix - Goodbye Elliott
»

I've posted a new mix for June. Granted, it's the 20th so I'm a little late but better late than never. Anyone that doesn't love the White Denim track is nuts.. seriously - you are required to love it. Aside from that, you may form your own opinion on any of the tracks included.. though I tend to think they are all of a pretty enjoyable quality.

The Summer Mix Series should be just around the corner.. it's just a matter of if I'll be able to get the code together in time to make it happen.

03:16 PM » [ Comments (9) ]

Kevin Drew
»

Last week I inquired about the new upcoming Broken Social Scene'er Kevin Drew release Spirit If... there wasn't much information to be found at the time but it seems that patience has paid off. The album is 14 tracks long and will be out in mid-September. Added to that there, the mini-site is great and includes a download of "TBTF" - which you should snag below.

» Kevin Drew - TBTF

03:11 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

Open Tabs - Volume 3
» A variety of links pertaining to tabs open in my browser at this very moment:

The Alphabet of Horror - fantastic / humorous / creepy drawings with a Ralph Steadman vibe..

Safari 3 Public Beta Download - it's time to try it out... can Firefox be replaced?

iPhone Smudge Parody - the truth behind using a touch screen.

Robot Chicken: Star Wars - the entire episode viewable online.

AT&T Redesign - tab heaven! I don't actually recall what the old site looked like but I can only imagine this is a 300% increase in quality.

02:50 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Habitat Shoes - Relaunch
»

Looks like Habitat Shoes have relaunched their site with a much cleaner, easier to use, interface. The shoe selection is growing and they are now sponsoring events around the local Kansas City area.

02:42 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Guy Overfelt - Burnout Artist
»

Guy Overfelt creates "Burnout Drawings" by modifying a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am muscle car engine and feeding linen or paper into the bleeding tires. The results are, surprisingly, pleasantly interesting. You can see a bunch of examples here and read an interview with him here.

12:57 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Magnetic Men
»

Magnet Man 1

Magnet Man 2

Is this a case of visual trickery? High iron count in the blood? Anyone have any legit insight into what is going on here?

12:47 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Nick Butcher updates
»

Nick Butcher, aka the Programmable Press, has updated his site with a ton of new works. The Books section says it is coming soon but if you browse deep enough into the Paintings you'll see several examples of his Book creations.

12:44 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

June 19, 2007
Poor Little Rich Kids
» Nashville has their own version of Last Nights Party / The Cobra Snake called Poor Little Rich Kids? I had no idea and I'm not really sure how I feel about it...

03:19 PM » [ Comments (7) ]

Music Videos featuring Keyboards
»

Dan Deacon - Crystal Cat

Ghosthustler - Parking Lot Nights

I love well made DIY style videos. The Dan Deacon one may incur seizures but the song is pretty great.

...and while I appreciate the Ghosthustler video I have to say - Nintendo references should officially be declared dead. Let's let it go. Power Gloves, Power Pads, Robbie the Robot, etc. Let's just all agree that it's not a clever callback to our youth and probably never was. This also applies to any number of cartoons from the 80's - let's just move on. But that sounds quite negative to the band and it's not intended that way.. I think the video is great (just doesn't need a Power Glove).

03:08 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

Threadless Select + UPSO
»

Apparently UPSO will now be curating the Select catalog of Threadless and they, in turn, will be sponsoring future issues of Faesthetic. Congratulations to the both of them, that's a great combo.

03:05 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

No Country for Old Men
»

No Country for Old Men

I haven't been excited for a new Coen Brothers movie in some time but having watched the new trailer for No Country for Old Men I think that notion has changed. Javier Bardem appears to be excessively creepy - something the Coen Brothers movies have been lacking for awhile. Link via Robbie.

01:32 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Shadow Art
»

A handful of artists are perfecting this art of the shadow in which a pile of rubbish, or an assortment of cutlery or just random shapes are used to cast a surprising shadow. Most of the works shown here are by Tim Noble and Sue Webster but there are a smattering of other artists in the mix as well.

11:48 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Mixtape of Yer Dreamz
»

Bawston Sean has unveiled The Summer of Dreamz Uber-Super-Ultra Mega Mix, a mixtape of eclectic proportions that I can only imagine brightening your day.

11:33 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

Mac CrossOver
» I'm sure everyone has heard of Parallels for Mac and BootCamp for running Windows on a Mac but I hadn't heard of CrossOver until last night. I've read it's a little buggy but that review was a bit dated.. so I'm curious if anyone has any insight into the application?

11:27 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

June 18, 2007
eMusic Subscription - thumbs down?
»

Since I've been staying in San Francisco I decided to try out procuring music through purely legal digital means. iTunes is the obvious route to go but the DRM actually gets on my nerves and has been problematic in the past for me synchronizing between devices (aka my iPod freezes up sometimes on songs I purchased) and frankly I don't care to support such behavior. So, I turned to eMusic, they've got a good signup deal, the download speeds are fast and the music is all completely DRM free. But what of the music selection? So far, a bit disappointing. Case and point, I'd love to get the new Handsome Furs record but they don't have it - nor do they have anything from their label. And they're on Sub Pop!

So, I'm asking those of you who may know better than I, what do you suggest from the eMusic catalog that is worth downloading?

04:51 PM » [ Comments (17) ]

LOST - in linear time
»

LOST - Crash Recap

If you've not watched all the episodes of LOST, I highly suggest not watching this video but if you're all caught up - it's a great edit / montage of the different characters and what they were experiencing in linear time, as opposed to the constant flashback. It's not anything you don't know (if you've watched them all) but it's great to see it all compiled together in such a fashion.

04:35 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Feed The Head
»

I spent some time with Feed the Head last night thinking that it was a simple quirky Flash interface where you could make a head yawn, pop out the eyeball, and maybe pull of a nose - but there's oh so much more involved. Thanks to Scott for tipping me off to the site and to Amy for hinting at the further interactivity. A great time waster.

01:58 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

PTA Returns - There Will Be Blood
»

There Will Be Blood

Robbie clued me in to the trailer for the new PT Anderson film - There Will Be Blood. The vibe is rather creepy and will hopefully yield another entry in the "Epic Films by PT Anderson" slot.

12:01 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

actionscript SQL
» Looks like someone is writing an actionscript mySQL driver - a bit of code that would be a rather large boon to developers if done properly.

11:55 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

Day Watch
»

Saw Day Watch last night, the second installment in a new trilogy by Timur Bekmambetov concerning a thousand year old pact between the "Dark Ones" and the "Light Ones" and how they keep each other in check. Not having seen the first in the series, Night Watch, I was a little lost at times but I think that could have also been due to the crazy editing style or the seemingly constant world shifting. Regardless of my confusion, it was an entertaining film (top notch subtitling too). Watch the trailer and tell me it doesn't look epic!

10:37 AM » [ Comments (3) ]

June 15, 2007
Friday Videos - June 15, 2007
»

The Matches - "Salty Eyes"

Tetris Gameshow

Treadmill Gameshow

Depp Weirdness

The video from The Matches may not contain a song that you're totally into but you gotta enjoy the overall concept / execution of the actual video. Apparently it's a vague homage to the ole Bob Dylan classic. Top notch in my book.

That Johnny Depp video is not something I would expect anyone to actually watch in its entirety but if you scrub to about 6 or 7 minutes in you can see the insanity of the children (talented but insane).

If anyone can find an embeddable version of this video - please send it. It's incredibly perfect.

04:08 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

UNKLE - War Stories
»

I haven't listened to much of anything that UNKLE has put out since the debut disc Psycene Fiction (and that unforgettable video). So, when I started receiving promotional emails for the new album, War Stories, I was pretty skeptical. But then I discovered that there were loads of collaborations on the disc - namely the likes of Autolux and Josh Homme (QOTSA). My interest was piqued and I snagged a few tracks from the ole Hype Machine to form an vague opinion. If the entire disc is as good as the following three songs, it should be quite a treat.

» UNKLE - Burn My Shadow (feat. Ian Astbury)

» UNKLE - Chemistry (feat. Josh Homme)

» UNKLE - Persons & Machinery (feat. Autolux*)

I also highly suggest watching the video for "Burn My Shadow" - a great amount of tension building / anticipation that ends in.. well.. the ending is too ridiculous to describe it here, so I'll let you watch it on your own.

*previously linked

03:51 PM » [ Comments (5) ]

Nerd Alert: JSFL
» I haven't had much experience with JSFL - the Javascript API for Flash - but finding myself in need of a little Library automation today opened my eyes to the perks of having an IDE capable of such things. For those of you nerdy enough to care.. here are some of my findings (thanks to Juan and Travis for the heads up):

» Adobe Introduction
» PDF Documentation
» Tools/extensions for Flash MX
» Update All Library Images
» GSkinner Blog (handy all around reference)
» Change Image Compression (just what I needed)
» Open Source Flash Projects

Not exactly completely comprehensive but it's a nice list to start from.

03:27 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Interpol - Our Love to Admire
»

Looks like Interpol is really gearing up the marketing campaign for their new disc, Our Love to Admire (July 10th release). They've got a brand new site , along with a bunch of short promotional videos, based on the gorgeous photography of the album art.

» Interpol - The Heinrich Maneuver

12:13 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

I HAS A C ODE
»

LOL CATS now have their own programming language - LOLCODE. The syntax is absurdly hysterical and somewhat easy to understand. That is, in comparison to something like the brainf*ck language.

11:44 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

June 14, 2007
Chime.TV
»

Web video is the new TV - as if Joost and VBS weren't evidence enough of this growing change now there is Chime.TV - a site the culls of all of its content from the likes of YouTube, MetaCafe, BreakTV, Blip, etc.

Overall, the site concept is top notch. Allowing a user to passively watch videos from numerous sources is a great idea (particularly with no commercials or noticeable banner ads) but I think the interface is a little lacking. Maybe it's the overall vibe or maybe it's that there has to be so much going on at once that the screen just seems insanely cluttered. Fortunately with a quick click you can turn off the Playlist and surrounding options with one click to just watch the video in a nice clean view. Sit down with it for a little while and see what you think.

12:52 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

House Tunnel
»

Words can't properly describe the awe of the house tunnel. Especially given the fact that you can actually crawl through it.

12:20 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Jeremy Okai - June Mix
»

It may be his birthday today but Jeremy Davis is giving you the present - in the form of his June mix. Snag it and then check his latest portraits while you listen to it.

12:16 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Blake McClure - KY coal
»

It's been awhile since I checked out the film portfolio of my buddy Blake McClure and it looks like he's made some great additions. The Kentucky Coal commercial is beautiful from start to finish...

12:11 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Crackerfarm Photography
»

The website for Crackerfarm Photographer is functional - that's about all you can say about it. Not many bells and whistles or really much of anything at all to it. Fortunately, this means that the photography portfolio contained within has your complete and undivided attention. The images often have a surreal feel to them - invoking (to me) some form of rural mysticism. The "Bag Head" series that runs throughout is a fine example of this peculiar vibe. But don't misconstrue my review to be anything in the way of negative, these photo's are undeniable.

11:13 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Robozo goes bozo
» In case you hadn't noticed - Scott is going crazy over at Robozo with new blog posts. He's probably posted more in the last week than he has over the entire life of the blog!

11:00 AM » [ Comments (4) ]

June 13, 2007
White Stripes Jump Drive
»

Musically, I've always struggled to really "get" The White Stripes. A song here or there will really hit home and I'll love it but in terms of full albums.. I just can't commit. That being said, I have the utmost respect for the things they do visually. With the release of Icky Thump the band is releasing a very limited edition Jack & Meg USB Flash Drive that will have the album preloaded on the driv in Apple Lossless format. Granted, it's $100 for the set but if I were a superfan, I'd be stoked that such a thing even existed.

04:56 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Nintendo News
»

Is there someone, anyone, out there that will please, please buy this shirt and wear it just about every day. I'm just really curious to meet who it is that this shirt is aimed at! 15 year old hard hip-hop Nintendo fans?

Nintendo is running a contest entitled Shortcuts where fans are invited to create a 3 - 5 minute video that would "make mario proud." In other words, embrace that inner nerd and make a film of it! The YouTube results are mixed for sure but the Punch-Out Trailer is pretty well done. Others, such as Shadow Mario are great concepts but maybe executed a bit off point...

I'm not entirely sure why I would need the DS Browser pack since I have a laptop but I am extremely compelled to pick up the cartridge just for the novelty! Has anyone used this thing yet?

04:50 PM » [ Comments (8) ]

Worst Headline
» If you think Lorena Bobbit was a ruffian then you should probably steer clear of this article. The words "bare hands", "boyfriend", "testicle" and "ripped" should never be so close together.

04:39 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Aging The Whale
» Weapon found in whale tells its age - a pretty incredible story about a whale being caught off the coast of Alaska last month that was found to have a bomb lance fragment stuck in it from roughly 130 years ago. Obviously the intended death strike didn't do much to phase the beast.

04:38 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Relative Coma
»

My condolences go out to the boys at Relative Theory who announced today that they will be shutting down their fantastic brick and mortar retail store in Norfolk, VA. on June 30th. I have personally been to this shop and it's rather sad to hear that another independent record store is shutting its doors due to lack of community support (aka buying CDs, coming to all the shows they put on, etc). I wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors and suggest everyone still sign up for their weekly mailing list so you can start buying discs from their online store.

04:34 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Personal Note
» One thing I have to say about residing in San Francisco and working at KNI SF is that I have a whole lot less time to browse and post.. I have big plans for ole yewknee.com during the month of June but I'm having a hard time even trying to maintain what is currrently here! Please bear with me...

01:19 PM » [ Comments (4) ]

June 12, 2007
Wat Gebeurde er met Bush' horloge?
»

Reading "Wat gebeurde er met Bush' horloge?" may not mean much to you now but after you watch the video you will know pretty much exactly what it means. You will also know that the residents of Albania have mastered the art of "sleight of hand." Via Jamie and Landry.

05:35 PM » [ Comments (8) ]

Designer Slash Model
»

You have to be beautiful to create something beautiful. That's the motto behind Designer Slash Model - a motion graphics firm that truly believes that being beautiful will get you everywhere. All the people involved are pretty great but I think Chaz may have my final vote based purely on his outtake.

I dunno what inspired Digital Kitchen to put this all together (inspiration perhaps?) but it's a nice amusing break for your long work day.

01:20 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

Jay Howell
»

Recently I was exposed to the works of Jay Howell and his little art books Punks Git Cut (some possible server problems at the moment). I recommend browsing through what you can - the hand drawn style is loose and doodle-like but obviously done with purpose and intent. And they're funny as hell to boot.

12:55 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Kevin Drew - Spirit If
» Does anyone have any insight into the new Kevin Drew project? I'm not surprised another Broken Social Scene member is putting out a solo disc but apparently this is part of a series with installments from BSS cohorts Brendan Canning and Justin Peroff. Curious...

12:48 PM » [ Comments (1) ]

Tuesday Videos for you
»

Camry Ad

Sawyer - Lrg

The road flip up on that Camry ad is highly impressive to me, don't ask why.

The LOST Sawyer clip is ridiculous but is likely taken from all 3 seasons, so if you haven't watched Season 3 - don't watch it.

12:44 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

The Big Pugh
»

I don't know exactly what Chad has up his sleeve for his new portfolio site but if the teaser illustration is any indication of what's to come, I'm stoked to see it.

12:31 PM » [ Comments (2) ]

June 11, 2007
Leopard
»

Have I entered into full-on Apple zealot? The latest announcements of the forthcoming Leopard upgrade to OS X seem pretty much great. I'm not entirely convinced on how useful the new "Stacks" file management will be (aka Piles?) but I am curious to find out. Based on my limited experience with Windows Vista and these new announcements I am proud to have aligned myself with the "Apple elite" and moved away from the operating system that caters to the lowest common denominator but I am open to hearing any complaints about forthcoming Mac goods?

06:14 PM » [ Comments (9) ]

Irina Rozovsky
»

The photographic works of Irina Rozovsky are a collection of intimate moments caught on film. It's hard not to like great compositon, rich color and a subtle story being told through still images. My only complaint would be that 10 pictures simply isn't enough! Via Blankenship

12:38 PM » [ Comments (3) ]

Odenkirk on Super Deluxe
»

Having been a fan of Bob Odenkirk since my initiation to Mr. Show I was always a bit disappointed that Bob And David dot com never had more videos / skits from the two of them (CS Lewis Jr being a major exception). However, it now appears that Bob has a new show on Super Deluxe called Derek & Simon - a series of short skits featuring some ridiculous scenarios. It even has some quality Bob acting moments... a phenomena that can not be recreated by any other actor.

12:27 PM » [ Comments (0) ]

Weekend Movies
»

MASH SF

This weekend I caught the premiere of MASH, a film about fixed-gear bike riders in San Francisco. For some reason I was expecting a documentary about the culture, the riders and all things fixed-gear but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually a new school take on the old skate video format. Basically it's a ton of footage of a bunch of SF fixed-gear bike riders going nuts and doing their thing (had I watched the trailer beforehand, I would have known that). Despite not being the least bit immersed in fixed-gear bike culture I still found the film to be incredibly engaging and entertaining.. I suspect more of its kind will be on the rise in the future.

11:27 AM » [ Comments (1) ]

June 08, 2007
Friday Videos - June 8th, 2007
»

Bat for Lashes

Go Nuts

Spelling Bee

I really wanted to add Funtown Auto to the list of videos today but 1) I couldn't find a good embeddable version and 2) it's so weird, vulgar and ridiculous that I didn't know how people would react. It's sort of like Tim & Eric style editing but infused with a serious dose of really bad crank.

02:18 PM » [ Comments (8) ]

Thundercats A Go
»

Thundercats IRL

Recently it was announced that Warner Bros would take the 80's cartoon "Thundercats" and re-envision it as a full-length CGI-animated feature. Have they not seen this video? Thundercats needs to be done with over the top make-up and insane traditional effects. Faux leather pants could be in every shot. A new theme song could be written that rivals the classicness of Mortal Kombat. There's a gold mine here and it's going to be neglected if they make it an animated feature.

12:36 PM » [ Comments (11) ]

What the World Eats
»

Landry send me a link to this great photo essay entitled What The World Eats. Fifteen different families from around the world and what their main diet consists of. The food itself is an incredible sight to see but the most eye opening aspect of it all is the amount of money spent on food in different countries.

11:31 AM » [ Comments (2) ]

Upside Down Internet
» I wish I was nerdy enough to implement the scripts shown at The Upside-Down-Ternet but I'm still lacking a little bit in that department. However, the idea that you can setup your wireless connection to vaguely punish / annoy people who are using the connection that shouldn't be is hilarious and (for lack of a better word) devilish! I think I might opt for the Blurry Internet tactic if I had my choice...

11:21 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Abduction Lamp
»

The Abduction Lamp is one of those things that I think is insanely clever (and well done) but could probably never bring myself to actually own. Regardless, the idea is solid and worth a gander.

11:17 AM » [ Comments (0) ]

Woops - missed a day
»

Sorry about missing a day yesterday folks but a number of reasons kept me from browsing the web with any efficiency. We launched a new iteration of Sprint Sweets with new light writing colors and when I wasn't busy tracking down bugs on that thing I was completely enamored with my new Macbook Pro. So far it's about 1,000x faster than my old Powerbook 17" and maybe even 150% faster than my G5 tower back in Nashville.

And for anyone that is curious.. I went glossy.

10:58 AM » [ Comments (13) ]

June 06, 2007
Hirst - Diamond Skull